diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index bdfb71d72b1..26f0afa43e7 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -361,12 +361,12 @@
                 <artifactId>simple-java-bitly</artifactId>
                 <version>1.1</version>
             </dependency>
-            <dependency>
-                <groupId>com.github.cbioportal</groupId>
-                <artifactId>session-service</artifactId>
-                <classifier>model</classifier>
-                <version>v0.5.0</version>
-            </dependency>
+<!--            <dependency>-->
+<!--                <groupId>com.github.cbioportal</groupId>-->
+<!--                <artifactId>session-service</artifactId>-->
+<!--                <classifier>model</classifier>-->
+<!--                <version>v0.5.0</version>-->
+<!--            </dependency>-->
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>com.googlecode.json-simple</groupId>
                 <artifactId>json-simple</artifactId>
diff --git a/portal/pom.xml b/portal/pom.xml
index 13abe9f1296..3645e1361f1 100644
--- a/portal/pom.xml
+++ b/portal/pom.xml
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@
             <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype</groupId>
             <artifactId>jackson-datatype-jdk8</artifactId>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.mongodb</groupId>
+            <artifactId>bson</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
     </dependencies>
 
     <build>
diff --git a/utils/pom.xml b/utils/pom.xml
index 3ec17c20268..c76773eb18a 100644
--- a/utils/pom.xml
+++ b/utils/pom.xml
@@ -38,11 +38,27 @@
             <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-validation</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.junit.vintage</groupId>
             <artifactId>junit-vintage-engine</artifactId>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
+            <artifactId>jackson-annotations</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.mongodb</groupId>
+            <artifactId>bson</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.springframework.data</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-data-commons</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
     </dependencies>
 
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utils/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/utils/removeme/Session.java b/utils/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/utils/removeme/Session.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6cfb277654e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/utils/removeme/Session.java
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+package org.cbioportal.utils.removeme;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonInclude;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonView;
+import javax.validation.constraints.NotNull;
+import javax.validation.constraints.Size;
+import org.bson.Document;
+import org.springframework.data.annotation.Id;
+import org.springframework.util.DigestUtils;
+
+// TODO this class was taken from session service. The session service dependency had to be dropped
+// since it forced cbioportal into autoconfiguration of mongoDB connections.
+// When session service is updated reinstate the correct session service dependency.
+
+@JsonInclude(JsonInclude.Include.NON_NULL)
+public class Session {
+
+    public enum SessionType {
+        main_session,
+        virtual_study,
+        group,
+        comparison_session,
+        settings,
+        custom_data,
+        genomic_chart,
+        custom_gene_list
+    }
+    
+    @Id
+    private String id;
+    @NotNull
+    private String checksum;
+    @NotNull
+    private Object data;
+    @NotNull
+    @Size(min=3, message="source has a minimum length of 3")
+    private String source;
+    @NotNull
+    private SessionType type;
+
+
+    @JsonView(Session.Views.IdOnly.class)
+    public String getId() {
+        return id;
+    }
+
+    public String getChecksum() {
+        return checksum;
+    }
+
+    public void setData(Object data) {
+        if(data instanceof String) {
+            this.data = Document.parse((String)data);
+        } else {
+            this.data = data;
+        }
+        this.checksum = DigestUtils.md5DigestAsHex(this.data.toString().getBytes());
+    }
+
+    @JsonView(Session.Views.Full.class)
+    public Object getData() {
+        return data;
+    }
+
+    public void setType(SessionType type) {
+        this.type = type;
+    }
+
+    @JsonView(org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session.Views.Full.class)
+    public SessionType getType() {
+        return type;
+    }
+
+    public void setSource(String source) {
+        this.source = source;
+    }
+
+    @JsonView(Session.Views.Full.class)
+    public String getSource() {
+        return source;
+    }
+
+    public static final class Views {
+        // show only id
+        public interface IdOnly {}
+
+        // show all data
+        public interface Full extends Session.Views.IdOnly {}
+    }
+}
diff --git a/web/pom.xml b/web/pom.xml
index 7f211b5408d..49a4222eb48 100644
--- a/web/pom.xml
+++ b/web/pom.xml
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
             <groupId>org.cbioportal</groupId>
             <artifactId>model</artifactId>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.cbioportal</groupId>
+            <artifactId>utils</artifactId>
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.cbioportal</groupId>
             <artifactId>service</artifactId>
@@ -54,14 +58,14 @@
             <groupId>commons-validator</groupId>
             <artifactId>commons-validator</artifactId>
         </dependency>
+<!--        <dependency>-->
+<!--            <groupId>com.github.cbioportal</groupId>-->
+<!--            <artifactId>session-service</artifactId>-->
+<!--            <classifier>model</classifier>-->
+<!--        </dependency>-->
         <dependency>
-            <groupId>com.github.cbioportal</groupId>
-            <artifactId>session-service</artifactId>
-            <classifier>model</classifier>
-        </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>com.googlecode.json-simple</groupId>
-            <artifactId>json-simple</artifactId>
+            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
+            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-data-mongodb</artifactId>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.mongodb</groupId>
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/SessionServiceController.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/SessionServiceController.java
index 49e39d0ff5a..ff8732cc14f 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/SessionServiceController.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/SessionServiceController.java
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.*;
 import org.cbioportal.web.util.SessionServiceRequestHandler;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.Session;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.SessionType;
+import org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session;
+import org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session.SessionType;
 import org.json.simple.JSONObject;
 import org.json.simple.parser.JSONParser;
 import org.json.simple.parser.ParseException;
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/config/CustomObjectMapper.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/config/CustomObjectMapper.java
index 58206b8a3fe..8056afa1952 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/config/CustomObjectMapper.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/config/CustomObjectMapper.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 import org.cbioportal.model.Sample;
 import org.cbioportal.model.SampleList;
 import org.cbioportal.model.TypeOfCancer;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.Session;
+import org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session;
 import org.cbioportal.web.CustomAttributeWithData;
 import org.cbioportal.web.mixin.CancerStudyMixin;
 import org.cbioportal.web.mixin.ClinicalAttributeCountMixin;
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/CustomDataSession.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/CustomDataSession.java
index 54a0bf0a237..66f136b96b5 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/CustomDataSession.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/CustomDataSession.java
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.Session;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.SessionType;
+import org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session;
 import org.cbioportal.web.CustomAttributeWithData;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore;
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/CustomGeneList.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/CustomGeneList.java
index 101a401ca73..fbb9f2c9fe7 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/CustomGeneList.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/CustomGeneList.java
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.Session;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.SessionType;
+import org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/PageSettings.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/PageSettings.java
index df577eb88fb..91944309eb1 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/PageSettings.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/PageSettings.java
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.Session;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.SessionType;
+import org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnoreProperties;
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/VirtualStudy.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/VirtualStudy.java
index 58367283390..923a98d68a2 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/VirtualStudy.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/parameter/VirtualStudy.java
@@ -4,12 +4,11 @@
 
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.Session;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.SessionType;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnoreProperties;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session;
 
 @JsonIgnoreProperties(ignoreUnknown = true)
 public class VirtualStudy extends Session {
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/studyview/CustomDataController.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/studyview/CustomDataController.java
index 90891a75f23..dc2712255c6 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/studyview/CustomDataController.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/studyview/CustomDataController.java
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 package org.cbioportal.web.studyview;
 
+import static org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session.*;
+
+
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -14,7 +17,6 @@
 import org.cbioportal.model.ClinicalDataCountItem;
 import org.cbioportal.model.Patient;
 import org.cbioportal.service.PatientService;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.SessionType;
 import org.cbioportal.web.config.annotation.InternalApi;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.ClinicalDataCountFilter;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.ClinicalDataFilter;
@@ -83,7 +85,8 @@ public ResponseEntity<List<ClinicalDataCountItem>> fetchCustomDataCounts(
         List<CompletableFuture<CustomDataSession>> postFutures = attributes.stream().map(clinicalDataFilter -> {
             return CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> {
                 try {
-                    return (CustomDataSession) sessionServiceRequestHandler.getSession(SessionType.custom_data,
+                    return (CustomDataSession) sessionServiceRequestHandler.getSession(
+                        SessionType.custom_data,
                             clinicalDataFilter.getAttributeId());
                 } catch (Exception e) {
                     return null;
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/util/CustomDataFilterApplier.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/util/CustomDataFilterApplier.java
index ff3ab72a65f..26eadaa490f 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/util/CustomDataFilterApplier.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/util/CustomDataFilterApplier.java
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 package org.cbioportal.web.util;
 
+import static org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session.*;
+
+
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -11,7 +14,6 @@
 import org.apache.commons.collections.map.MultiKeyMap;
 import org.cbioportal.service.ClinicalDataService;
 import org.cbioportal.service.PatientService;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.SessionType;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.ClinicalDataFilter;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.CustomDataSession;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.SampleIdentifier;
diff --git a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/util/SessionServiceRequestHandler.java b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/util/SessionServiceRequestHandler.java
index 8985c316ca9..e6a4d5e48a0 100644
--- a/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/util/SessionServiceRequestHandler.java
+++ b/web/src/main/java/org/cbioportal/web/util/SessionServiceRequestHandler.java
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 package org.cbioportal.web.util;
 
+import static org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.Session.*;
+
+
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 
 import org.apache.commons.codec.binary.Base64;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.Session;
-import org.cbioportal.session_service.domain.SessionType;
+import org.cbioportal.utils.removeme.*;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.CustomDataSession;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.CustomGeneList;
 import org.cbioportal.web.parameter.PageSettings;